A robust satellite telemetry system for IMOS moorings

An iridium based telemetry system has been developed and successfully deployed both in the Southern Ocean and for over a year at a coastal station. The major technological development for the system was the encasement of the antennas into a sealed unit with transmission achieved through a thick Delrin® lid. Reliable communications can now be obtained in a system that allows a 250 m pull down of the surface canister without leakage, and with file buffering of data until satellite reacquisition. This system has proven to be both low-cost and robust.